Moho Forum

A little walk cycle that I'm working on for a video game. I've always had difficulty with making characters walk toward the camera, but it didn't turn out too bad. If anyone has any advice, feel free to illuminate.

Well, since she has these massive boots perhaps it would be more convincing if you emphasize the top view, rather than showing the boots sole?
Also, a few shades on her "tail" would not hurt viewers eye. But, is there something wrong with her eyes?,)

She doesn't have a tail, it's a really long ribbon. I'm currently using a pattern on the ribbon, but adding some additional shading wouldn't hurt.
I thought about elevating the camera perspective and looking down at the character from an angle, but the problem is that the game is a 2d side-scroller. This animation gets used during certain room transitions, so it would be weird if the camera perspective suddenly changed. I imagine the character would look like she's walking into the floor.

I'm going to add some blinks and so on to the eyes later. If you're wondering about the art style, it's just a style I tend to like.

It certainly looks like she's walking forwards. The only thing that struck me, as far as the walk is concerned, is that she needs more personality. A sexy swing of the hips and shoulder's would enhance it. Nobody walks with their arms stiff down by their side either. I agree with Maestral that her eyes look a bit odd too. Very cross eyed somehow.
With game animations it has to be as perfect as you can get it as it will obviously be seen A LOT.

She looks like she's walking, or perhaps more accurately, shuffling as she's moving along at a pretty good clip. The swinging ribbon works well although I can see no reason for it to swing since her body never moves.

There`s one more thing which I have not mentioned...

Her legs are overlapping during the walk, but the thing is - her hips are "shrinking" aswell while she walks. Girls that can sway their hips are the ones which would have the ribbon acting like this. ,) To me, that looks like a reason for ribbon not to work so good and the whole impression of her walking toward the viewer is demised.

I watched the sample many times to get a good impression.

My first reaction was to consider how it would be used. In a side scrolling type video game this particular animation might be seen very small and only in short segments in combination with other walk cycles. At a small size exagerated motion would be needed to give more excitment to the movement.

I think the "top half" is 90% there, but the legs and hips need some work. Exaggerated "sexiness" is not absolutely required but some more hip movement is definitely needed. Come to think of it, it isn't exactly a "sexy" walk that is needed but in reality female characters do walk differently and do have a hip sway that would be more dramatic.

I think it's the lack of "foot lift" that is missing. Add in higher lift of the foot on the back of the walk and you can get a lot more action to the walk.

Also since this is a short repeating cycle with most likely a fast, "low frame rate" movement, you could do a lot more "hand drawn" changes to the shapes. You could almost hand draw each frame of the cycle to create more exagerated motion. Make the "top back" view of the back foot "longer and higher", add more hip swing and side to side movement of the lower legs on the back leg portion of the cycle.

It's very close but it all depends on how "big" the view is of the character. The sample video is high resolution and very large. Will that much detail be seen in the actual game? Will this animation be used in "cut scenes" or only as part of the game play?

Front view walk cycles are really difficult. This reference from Tezuka School of Animation is a male character so the hip movement will be different than an adult woman's, but it might help: http://fyeahanimationanswers.tumblr.com ... front-view

My front view walk cycle is not perfect but the clip should give you an idea of how I did my test. I used the short black and red lines as guides for the front view. I hope it helps.

Excellent example 3deeguy.

p.s.
ever since you got a grip on these yt links, you`re getting better and better ,))

I did a recent front on walk cycle and I found that having the knees flex out when crossing the other weight bearing leg helped with the illusion, like this:

http://www.mikegreen.name/Public/Exampl ... rwards.mov

Maestral wrote: p.s.
ever since you got a grip on these yt links, you`re getting better and better ,))

Thanks much for showing me how to embed videos.

Thank you, everyone! I've read all of your suggestions and am in the process of reworking the walk. I even spaced the eyes a little better to avoid a cross-eyed look. When I finish, I'll upload my improved version for more critic.

@VERN
Yes, the character is used in cut scenes and needs to be high quality. Your suggestion reminds me of the female walk from the animators survival kit:


The female character is apparently supposed to have very little up-down motion and hip sway, my problem is that I don't want a lot of hip sway. This character is the player character and I don't want her to be too sexualized. I definitely went too far and removed all the sway. I'm taking your suggestion and am trying to toss some natural sway in there.

@3deeguy
Thank you for the example, I checked it out and it was helpful.

I think this section of Animator's Survival Kit is only accurate for women walking in high heeled shoes which is almost nothing like a woman walking in flats. If you have never experienced walking in high heels, imagine it as the difference between keeping your foot locked in a tip-toeing position and walking normally. In heels you have dramatically reduced bending at the ankle and bending at the knees, hence the minimal up and down motion. Also to balance you have to center your foot more below your body than off to the side. For women, having physiologically wider hips alternating to reach a central foot location, coupled with very little leg bending causes the "sexy" hip sway. But in flat shoes, which your character appears to be wearing, most of this goes out the window. Assuming she has an adult woman's hips, she would still need to step slightly more to the center of her hip width, but not nearly as much as if she were wearing heels. The amount of hip sway you see in a woman's walk should be determined by how wide her hips her and how close to the center her foot is stepping.